AIMS: To estimate the direct cost of hypoglycemia in insulin-treated adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in Denmark. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Local Impact of Hypoglycemia Tool (LIHT) was used to estimate the costs associated with insulin-related hypoglycemia. Average utilization of healthcare resources, including the costs of pre-hospitalization, hospital admission, healthcare professional contact and follow-up, glucose/glucagon, and extra SMBG tests to monitor blood glucose following an episode, was used to calculate an average cost per severe and per non-severe hypoglycemic episode...

AIM: Scanty information is available about the association of isolated daytime hypertension (IDH) and isolated night-time hypertension (INH) with subclinical cardiac damage in the general population. We examined this issue in patients enrolled in the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni study. METHODS: The analysis included 2021 participants with valid ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring at baseline evaluation. IDH and INH were defined according to current guidelines...

OBJECTIVES: The myocardium can be affected by diabetes mellitus. The effects of blood glucose control on some organs such as the kidney and eye have been previously reported. The aim of our study was to evaluate left atrial function via 2-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking echocardiography in a group of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with well-controlled diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] < 7%) and to compare it with that in a group of CAD patients with poorly controlled diabetes...

BACKGROUND: Producing sufficient numbers of DCs at one time point and subsequently cryopreserving the generated DCs in ready-for-use aliquots for clinical application is useful in cancer treatment. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of a simplified cryopreservation method and thawing procedures acting on the biological characteristics and specific cytotoxic activity of cord blood derived DC-based esophageal carcinoma vaccine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells were isolated from cord blood using CD34+ Progenitor Cell Isolation Kit by magnetic cell sorting system (MACS)...

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are a mainstay of treatment options for Type 2 diabetes. They contribute to lowering blood glucose levels, generally have a favorable tolerability profile, and can be used alone or in combination with other antidiabetic agents. Based on the duration of their effects, GLP-1 RAs can be divided into two classes: short-acting and long-acting. Differences exist between these sub-classes, and between each drug, in terms of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles...

BACKGROUND: Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are well-known environmental contaminants which are associated with chronic diseases. As foods are the major sources of human exposure to toxic pollutants, we developed an integrated dietary and education program to eliminate the chemical toxin throughout the human body. The present study evaluated effects of the dietary detoxification program on serum γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), anthropometric data and metabolic biomarkers in adults...

Humanin (HN) is a mitochondrially encoded and secreted peptide linked to glucose metabolism and tissue protecting mechanisms. Whether skeletal muscle HN gene or protein expression is influenced by exercise remains unknown. In this intervention study we show, for the first time, that HN protein levels increase in human skeletal muscle following 12 weeks of resistance training in persons with prediabetes. Male subjects (n = 55) with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) were recruited and randomly assigned to resistance training, Nordic walking or a control group...

Incidence of diabetes and other metabolic disorders is increasing worldwide, with almost half the cases remaining undiagnosed. This is cause for concern as poor management of glucose or lipid levels causes tissue damage that may result in micro- or macrovascular complications. Current methods of diagnosing metabolic disorders do not provide any clues on disease aetiology or their posterior evolution and incidence of complications, which are the main cause of disease-associated morbidity. Circulating microRNAs found in blood change with the physiological condition of the organism and may help to: (1) identify people at risk of developing metabolic disease, (2) diagnose diabetes or other metabolic disorders on the basis of their aetiology, (3) predict the development of complications, and (4) monitor response to treatment...

BACKGROUND: Individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD) often have reduced physical activity, which may increase the future risk of diabetes mellitus. Although diabetes is a risk factor for PAD, whether low ankle-brachial index (ABI) predates diabetes has not been studied. METHODS: We examined the association of ABI with incident diabetes using Cox proportional hazards models in the ARIC Study. ABI was measured in 12,247 black and white participants without prevalent diabetes at baseline (1987-1989)...

RATIONALE: Insulin resistance has emerged as a potential mechanism related to the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). However, direct measurements of insulin and glucose metabolism have not been performed in IPAH patients to date. OBJECTIVES: To perform comprehensive metabolic phenotyping on humans with IPAH. METHODS: We assessed plasma insulin and glucose using an oral glucose tolerance test and estimated insulin resistance and beta-cell function in 14 IPAH patients and 14 controls matched for age, sex, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI),...

At present time glucose is primarily considered as basic energy substrate. Therefore, it is recommended to give amount of glucose which is necessary for oxidation and energy production. As critical illness is connected with so-called insulin resistance, it is recommended to reduce the glucose dose and maintain normal blood glucose. Glucose, however, may not only be the principal energy substrate but also the substrate necessary for many metabolic reactions, which are essential for normal reactivity and survival...

Congenital hyperinsulinism is a serious blood glucose regulation defect that interferes with brain development, leading to mental retardation, neurological sequelae and secondary epilepsy and ultimately may be life-threatening. Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is caused by genetic defects of regulation of insulin secretion that induce insulin oversecretion in intrauterine life and postnatally. The clinical consequence is fetal macrosomia and subsequently neonatal and infantile hypoglycaemia. The most severe form is caused by biallelic mutations of KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes that encode both potassium channel subunits, whereas their heterozygous mutations as well as enzymatic defects (GLUD1, HADH, GCK) lead to milder presentation...

Controversy persists about whether snoring can affect atherosclerotic changes in adjacent vessels, independently of obstructive sleep apnea and other cardiovascular risk factors. This study examined the independent association between snoring and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in non-apneic snorers and non-snorers. We studied 180 non-apneic snorers and non-snorers participating in a full-night home-based sleep study. Snoring sound was measured objectively by a microphone. Based on snoring time across the night, participants were classified as non-snorers (snoring time: 0%), mild snorers (1-25%) and moderate to heavy snorers (≥25%)...

There is growing evidence that obesity can lead to neurodegeneration induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α). Moreover, obesity is associated with reduced transport of insulin through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Insulin deficiency in the brain especially in the hypothalamus region has neurodegenerative and obesity-promoting effects. Because of the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of vitamin D, in the current experimental study, we aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on neurodegeneration, TNF-α concentration in the hypothalamus, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to serum ratio of insulin in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats...

Tartary buckwheat (TB) has been reported to be associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and T2DM has had a major impact on the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Thus, the hypothesis that a daily intake of TB will improve DKD risk factors, including urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), urea nitrogen (UN), serum creatinine, and uric acid was tested. In a parallel, randomized, open-label controlled trial, 104 T2DM patients were randomly assigned to a diet control group (systematic diet plans and intensive nutritional education) or a TB intervention group (daily replacement of a portion of staple foods with TB foods)...

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and quality of antipsychotic prescribing for people with intellectual disability (ID). DESIGN: A clinical audit of prescribing practice in the context of a quality improvement programme. Practice standards for audit were derived from relevant, evidence-based guidelines, including NICE. Data were mainly collected from the clinical records, but to determine the clinical rationale for using antipsychotic medication in individual cases, prescribers could also be directly questioned...